Deer Camp Blog- the outdoor column of The Bodock Times- (a satirical periodical)
Humor and Hunting at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club on the edge of the Mississippi Delta

Monday, January 12, 2009

The Thicket of Confusion

Dazd, MS> This week I had been anxious to hunt a new place I had found. I would not tell anyone where I was hunting; but if they asked, I would say the Thicket of Despair. It was about to get very confusing in that thicket.This was another big guest weekend. Paul brought our old friend David Hyde, Paul's daughter Hillary, her boyfriend Justin and another friend Grant.We got six deer this weekend and Grant got his first. He also went duck hunting with Dad and they got the limit every time they went. He managed to get the deer while hunting with Dad too.

They hunted behind the Wardens Station and between sips of Peach Brandy (to stay warm) he made a good shot and bagged his first deer.

Mark brought the Henderson, TN duo of Brad Emerson and Clint Hutchinson and Burney brought Eddie back down. The camp was full to the gunwales. Mark took a doe and the two Tennessee hunters got deer too!They saw a bunch of deer including a really big buck that walked under Clints' stand. Here is their pic. We had a really good time with them and hope they will return again.Saturday night Burney came in with a young 8-point. He was disappointed that he had pulled the trigger on it and I made the statement that i would never shoot one like that again. My fate was sealed.I had been hunting the big deer at the T-field off and on for three years and I had finally moved to a new location to hunt on the ground. I called it the Thicket of Despair.Daylight found me waiting patiently, I knew the giant buck would be coming by soon. At 8 o'clock I saw the buck trotting toward me. I knew it was him. A brief glance at his antlers and I put my scope on him as he turned and moved down the hill. I saw the massive antlers, and made a neck shot at about 80 yards. A great shot! The buck hit the ground and when I got to him, I realized that this young 8-point was exactly what I said I would not shoot. A nice deer, but I panicked when it turned away and started ambling through the woods away from me. My Thicket of Despair had become the Thicket of Confusion. Here is a pic of Burney and I with our deer.

Your group has been killing some unbelievable bucks, so it sure shows you know how to manage for them. I wouldn't worry too much about your "small" buck since it is bigger than most will ever see and you obviously have plenty more where he came from :) Congratulations to you and everyone else on their great harvests.